The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for use in the manufacture of refrigerating cabinets of the type including an inner housing of thermoformed plastic material, outer walls spaced from the housing, and foamed insulation material filling the space between the housing and the outer walls.
This general type of refrigerating cabinet is known, and the fabrication of such cabinets requires a series of production operations summarized generally as follows. Thus, a panel of suitable plastic material is thermoformed to obtain an appropriately shaped inner housing. This inner housing is fixedly positioned on a positioning support member, and the outer walls of the cabinet are mounted about the thus positioned cabinet, while defining a space between the housing and the outer walls. The assembly thus formed is preheated, and insulating material is foamed into the space between the housing and the outer walls by injection, while employing an enclosure assembly commonly referred to as a foaming jig.
The general practice is that the various elements assembled in the different manufacturing steps are moved by conveyers or rollers to the required assembly locations, and the handling operations throughout the entire manufacturing cycle require a complex coordination and control system.
This basic manufacturing cycle includes a number of inherent disadvantages, in particular due to the fact that different types and shapes of cabinets require substantially entirely different and separate assembly installations. Particularly, different types and sizes of cabinets require respective separate positioning members and separate corresponding foaming jigs. As a result, the assembling and foaming operations for each type and shape of cabinet are entirely independent, and this requires substantial space and capital investment. Also, the handling and conveying systems employed in each separate installation are fixed, thus further accentuating this basic problem of lack of adjustability.